Thomas Helmer
Encyclopedia
Thomas Helmer is a former German
footballer.
His preferred playing position was sweeper, but he was primarily deployed as a central defender.
Helmer spent most of his club career with Borussia Dortmund
and Bayern Munich
- appearing in nearly 400 Bundesliga
games in 15 seasons - and won the European Championship
in 1996.
, playing four games late in 1984–85, in a season that ended in relegation. In the following season, he netted five goals in 35 second division
matches, prompting interest from Borussia Dortmund
, which signed him in 1986. A key element from the start, Helmer also scored 16 goals during his six-season stint.
In 1992, he joined FC Bayern Munich
in controversial circumstances. Dortmund did not wish to sell Helmer, one of its best players, to a rival Bundesliga
team, and sent him to France
's Olympique Lyonnais
instead. However, only three months later, Lyon sold Helmer to Bayern Munich for 7.5 million marks, at the time a record transfer fee paid by the Bavaria
n club. The resultant furore became so heated that German national side
coach Berti Vogts
threatened to drop Helmer from the UEFA Euro 92 squad because of the distraction the affair was causing.
Helmer was also an integral part (scoring seven goals in his debut season) and, eventually, captain of an ascendant Bayern Munich team of the late-90's
, winning three league titles, one cup
and three League cups), adding the 1995-96 UEFA Cup, where he scored once (against FC Girondins de Bordeaux
in the final's first leg
) in 12 games. Defensively, the team would also include, during Helmer's stay, internationals Olaf Thon
, Lothar Matthäus
and Markus Babbel
.
Upon leaving Bayern in 1999, Helmer opted to move to the Premier League. He was offered a contract by Liverpool
, but chose instead to join newly promoted Sunderland
on a free transfer. Sunderland manager Peter Reid
hardly used him, however, and he returned to Germany on loan with Hertha BSC. Although he had appeared in the UEFA Champions League
for Hertha, upon his return to Sunderland, Reid judged that “his legs had gone”, and the club bought-out his contract, with the player retiring immediately afterwards.
with Sweden
in Stockholm
. He enjoyed great success in the UEFA European Football Championship
s, starting in consecutive finals. In 1992, Germany lost surprisingly to Denmark
, which had been called at the last hour, but four years later went one better, defeating the Czech Republic in extra-time
at Wembley.
Helmer also appeared in two FIFA World Cup
s, bowing out of international football in the second round clash of the 1998 edition
against Mexico
, when he was replaced before half-time
by Christian Ziege
.
and television presenter with DSF
. Additionally, he served as Germany's ambassador to children's charity “FIFA for SOS Children's Villages”, first undertaking it in 1997.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
footballer.
His preferred playing position was sweeper, but he was primarily deployed as a central defender.
Helmer spent most of his club career with Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
and Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
- appearing in nearly 400 Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
games in 15 seasons - and won the European Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
in 1996.
Club career
Helmer began his career with Arminia BielefeldArminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
, playing four games late in 1984–85, in a season that ended in relegation. In the following season, he netted five goals in 35 second division
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
matches, prompting interest from Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
, which signed him in 1986. A key element from the start, Helmer also scored 16 goals during his six-season stint.
In 1992, he joined FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
in controversial circumstances. Dortmund did not wish to sell Helmer, one of its best players, to a rival Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
team, and sent him to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
instead. However, only three months later, Lyon sold Helmer to Bayern Munich for 7.5 million marks, at the time a record transfer fee paid by the Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n club. The resultant furore became so heated that German national side
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
coach Berti Vogts
Berti Vogts
Hans-Hubert "Berti" Vogts is a German former footballer. He played for Borussia Mönchengladbach and won the World Cup with West Germany in 1974. He later managed Germany , Scotland and Nigeria...
threatened to drop Helmer from the UEFA Euro 92 squad because of the distraction the affair was causing.
Helmer was also an integral part (scoring seven goals in his debut season) and, eventually, captain of an ascendant Bayern Munich team of the late-90's
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
, winning three league titles, one cup
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
and three League cups), adding the 1995-96 UEFA Cup, where he scored once (against FC Girondins de Bordeaux
FC Girondins de Bordeaux
Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux is a French association football club based in the city of Bordeaux. The club currently play in Ligue 1, the first division of French football, and won its last Ligue 1 title in the 2008–09 season....
in the final's first leg
1996 UEFA Cup Final
The 1996 UEFA Cup Final was played on May 1, 1996 and May 15, 1996 between Bayern Munich of Germany and FC Girondins de Bordeaux of France. Bayern Munich won the two matches 5–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:...
) in 12 games. Defensively, the team would also include, during Helmer's stay, internationals Olaf Thon
Olaf Thon
Olaf Thon is a retired German footballer, and a current coach.Mainly a central midfielder, his 19-year professional career was solely associated to Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich, having amassed more than 500 official games and 100 goals for both combined...
, Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Matthäus
Lothar Herbert Matthäus , is a German football manager and former player.In 1990, he was named European Footballer of the Year and World Soccer Player of the Year after captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 World Cup...
and Markus Babbel
Markus Babbel
Markus Babbel is a former international German football player, who is currently manager of German Bundesliga club Hertha BSC. He played as a defender for clubs in Germany and England.-Career:...
.
Upon leaving Bayern in 1999, Helmer opted to move to the Premier League. He was offered a contract by Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, but chose instead to join newly promoted Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on a free transfer. Sunderland manager Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
hardly used him, however, and he returned to Germany on loan with Hertha BSC. Although he had appeared in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
for Hertha, upon his return to Sunderland, Reid judged that “his legs had gone”, and the club bought-out his contract, with the player retiring immediately afterwards.
International career
Helmer made his full international debut for Germany on 10 October 1990, a 3–1 win in a friendly matchExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
with Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
in Stockholm
Råsunda Stadium
Råsunda Fotbollstadion, also Råsundastadion, Råsunda Stadium or just Råsunda, is a Swedish national football stadium. It is located in Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm and named after Råsunda, a zone of Solna.-History:...
. He enjoyed great success in the UEFA European Football Championship
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
s, starting in consecutive finals. In 1992, Germany lost surprisingly to Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, which had been called at the last hour, but four years later went one better, defeating the Czech Republic in extra-time
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
at Wembley.
Helmer also appeared in two FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s, bowing out of international football in the second round clash of the 1998 edition
1998 World Cup
1998 World Cup may refer to:*1998 IAAF World Cup*1998 Men's Hockey World Cup*1998 Women's Hockey World Cup*1998 FIFA World Cup*1998 Alpine Skiing World Cup...
against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
, when he was replaced before half-time
Half-time
In some team sports such as association football and rugby, matches are played in two halves. Half-time is the name given to the interval between the two halves of the match...
by Christian Ziege
Christian Ziege
Christian Ziege is a former German football defender and midfielder. With the German national team, Ziege won Euro 96. An attacking left wingback, Ziege was considered a dead-ball specialist.-Club career:...
.
International goals
- Scores and results table. Germany's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 21 June 1995 Letzigrund LetzigrundIn January 2005, UEFA approved plans to rebuild the stadium for use as a EURO 2008 venue. It hosted 3 matches in the 2008 European Football Championship....
, ZürichZürichZurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
1–0 2–0 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...2. 8 October 1995 Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion BayArenaThe BayArena is a football stadium in Leverkusen, Germany, which has been the home ground of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen since 1958.-History:...
, LeverkusenLeverkusenLeverkusen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the eastern bank of the Rhine. To the South, Leverkusen borders the city of Cologne and to the North is the state capital Düsseldorf....
2–0 6–1 Euro 1996 qualifier UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying Group 7-Standings:-Results and fixtures:---------------------------------------------External links:...3. 11 October 1997 AWD-Arena AWD-ArenaThe AWD-Arena is a football stadium in the district Calenberger Neustadt in Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany, and competition venue of the German Bundesliga football club Hannover 96....
, HanoverHanoverHanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
1–1 4–3 1998 World Cup qualifier 4. 22 February 1998 King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh RiyadhRiyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of Riyadh Province, and belongs to the historical regions of Najd and Al-Yamama. It is situated in the center of the Arabian Peninsula on a large plateau, and is home to 5,254,560 people, and the urban center of a...
2–0 3–0 Friendly 5. 5 June 1998 Carl-Benz-Stadion Carl-Benz-StadionCarl-Benz-Stadion is a multi-purpose stadium in Mannheim, Germany. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of SV Waldhof Mannheim. In 2008, it also hosted TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for the first half of that club's first season in the Fußball-Bundesliga, until...
, MannheimMannheimMannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
3–0 7–0 Friendly
Club
- German LeagueFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
: 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99 - German CupDFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
: 1988–89, 1997–98; Runner-up 1998–99 - German League CupDFB-LigapokalThe DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany...
: 1997, 1998 - UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: Runner-up 1998–99 - UEFA Cup: 1995–96
Country
- UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
: 1996; Runner-up 1992
Post-retirement
Afer retiring, Helmer worked as a sports journalistSports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
and television presenter with DSF
Deutsches Sportfernsehen
SPORT1 is a privately owned commercial German television channel. Until April 11, 2010, it was called DSF . It was founded on January 1, 1993 out of the television channel Tele 5 which had become the successor of the music video channel musicbox on January 11, 1988...
. Additionally, he served as Germany's ambassador to children's charity “FIFA for SOS Children's Villages”, first undertaking it in 1997.
External links
- International appearances at RSSSFRec.Sport.Soccer Statistics FoundationThe Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation is an international amateur organization dedicated to collecting statistics about association football...